Providing context information during voice communications between mobile devices, such as providing visual media

ABSTRACT

A system and method for providing context information along with a voice call is disclosed. In some examples, a calling device receives context information from a user and transmits the context information when establishing a voice call with the user. The context information may include various types of media, such as pictures or videos taken by a calling device. In some examples, a destination mobile device receives a voice call that does have context information and sends a request to a calling mobile device for information related to the voice call.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 12/434,518, filed May 1, 2009, entitled PROVIDINGCONTEXT INFORMATION DURING VOICE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN MOBILE DEVICES,SUCH AS PROVIDING VISUAL MEDIA, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

In addition to providing traditional voice communications, mobiledevices facilitate communications between people in a number ofdifferent ways: users can send email messages, send text and multimediamessages, chat with other users, and so on. In fact, many users haveadopted these way as their primary channels of contact with other users,because they are simple, quick, and unobtrusive, among other reasons.

Mobile devices are ubiquitous and users typically carry them whereverthey go. At times, however, a user may be otherwise occupied and wouldonly want to receive urgent or important calls. However, it is oftendifficult for a user to ascertain the importance of a call until theuser picks up the call, which can be burdensome when the call is notdesired or critical. There is one system capable of transmitting textinformation along with a voice call, although the system is quitelimited in capabilities, and may be unsuitable for many users. Forexample, although this system, disclosed in U.S. Published PatentApplication No. 2008/0273677, provides data along with a voice call, itonly discloses providing text information, such as in a subject linedisplayed by a phone.

The need exists for a method and system that overcomes these problemsand progresses the state of the art, as well as one that providesadditional benefits. Overall, the examples herein of some prior orrelated systems and their associated limitations are intended to beillustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of existing or priorsystems will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon readingthe following Detailed Description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram illustrating a scenario in which a systemtransmits context data before connecting a voice call.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a system for presenting contextinformation with a voice call.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a routine for presenting contextinformation during establishment of a voice call.

FIGS. 4A-4C are screen shots of representative interfaces displayedduring establishment of a voice call between two mobile devices.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a routine for requesting informationfrom an unknown calling party during reception of a voice call.

FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a representative interface displayed duringreception of a voice call from a calling party.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A system and method for presenting context information, such as photos,videos, and other multimedia, during establishment and/or reception of avoice call is described. Upon receiving a request to establish a voicecall, the system may present a list or menu of types of content used toprovide context or intention for the voice call. The types of contentmay be text-based content, visual content (such as photographs orvideos), content automatically selected by the mobile device (such ascontent selected based on a location of the mobile device, the time ofday, information received from other sources), and so on. Once a type ofcontent has been selected (or input by the user), the system establishesa communication channel with a destination mobile device, and transmitsthe context information to the destination mobile device, providing auser of the destination mobile device with a context for the phone call.

In some examples, the system may facilitate a request for contextinformation by a destination mobile device to a calling mobile device.Upon receiving a phone call, the system, via an interface of thedestination mobile device, may present a list of options associated withthe phone call, including an option to send a message back to a callingmobile device requesting context information about the voice call.

Various examples of the system will now be described. The followingdescription provides specific details for a thorough understanding andan enabling description of these embodiments. One skilled in the artwill understand, however, that the system may be practiced without manyof these details. Additionally, some well-known structures or functionsmay not be shown or described in detail, so as to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the relevant description of the various embodiments. Theterminology used in the description presented below is intended to beinterpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is beingused in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specificexamples of the system.

FIG. 1 depicts a scenario 100 in which a system transmits context databefore connecting a voice call between two users of mobile devices. Awife 105 wants to call her husband 115 at his office, but knows that hemay be busy or often does not pick up his mobile device unless he isexpecting a call. However, she wants to express a level of urgency ofthe call. Therefore, she launches an application on her mobile device110 that attaches a context to a voice call. She takes a picture of hersituation (a picture of her child wearing his dinner), and presses abutton to initiate a voice call to her husband. The applicationtransmits a message from her mobile device to her husband's mobiledevice 120 while attempting to establish the voice call. The mobiledevice 120 receives an indication of the voice call along with thepicture, and informs the husband 115 of the voice call (via interfaceelements or audible ring) while also displaying the picture of thedinner wearing child). The husband 115 may then answer the voice callknowing the context of the call.

Suitable System

FIG. 2 and the following discussion provide a brief, general descriptionof a suitable environment in which the system can be implemented.Although not required, aspects of the system are described below in thegeneral context of computer-executable instructions, such as routinesexecuted by a general-purpose data processing device, e.g., a wirelessdevice, server computer or personal computer. Those skilled in therelevant art will appreciate that the system can be practiced with othercommunications, data processing, or computer system configurations,including: Internet appliances, hand-held devices (including personaldigital assistants (PDAs) and digital music players), all manner ofmobile phones, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based orprogrammable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs,mini-computers, mainframe computers, and the like. Indeed, the terms“computer,” “server,” and the like are generally used interchangeablyherein, and refer to any of the above devices and systems, as well asany data processor. Aspects of the system may be stored or distributedon computer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readablecomputer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROMsemiconductor chips), or other data storage media.

While aspects of the system, such as certain functions, are described asbeing performed exclusively on a single device, the system can also bepracticed in distributed environments where functions or modules areshared among disparate processing devices, which are linked through acommunications network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide AreaNetwork (WAN), or the Internet. In a distributed computing environment,program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storagedevices.

As shown in FIG. 2, a mobile telecommunications device 200 a, 200 b . .. 200 n, such as a mobile phone, media device, email device, or thelike, may communicate with servers or other computing devices via amobile telecommunications network or other wireless telecommunicationsnetwork. For example, a mobile device 200 b may establish acommunication channel with a mobile transceiver 205 using any knownstandard, such as GSM, CDMA, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, UMTS, UMA, and so on.Alternatively or additionally, a mobile device 200 a may establish acommunication channel via a wireless local area network (WLAN) using awireless hotspot or access point 210. The wireless access point 210 mayemploy any known wireless communication protocols, such as IEEE 802.11or IEEE 802.16. The mobile device may communicate with the access point210 using the Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) or the Generic Accessnetwork (GAN) protocol. The mobile transceivers and access points areconnected via public and/or private networks 215 to remote servicesoperating on servers and other computing devices.

Content and other information transmitted between mobile devices via thenetwork may be stored locally on the mobile devices 200 a-n or at anetwork location that is associated with the mobile devices. Forexample, photographs and videos transmitted as context information maybe stored in a database 218 associated with a web server 216, in a thirdparty database 220 associated with a third party web server 222, in apersonal computer 224, in a third party computer 228, or in anothermobile device.

The databases and servers may also store information about the mobiledevices, such as identifiers, group or permissions information, and soon. Examples of stored identifiers include Integrated Services DigitalNetwork (MSISDN) numbers, mobile identification (MIN) numbers,International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) numbers, and so on. Forexample, a service provide associated with the mobile device mayassociated various devices in groups, such as a user's group of friendsor contacts and/or a group of users within an associated address book,such as a network address book (NAB). The network address book (NAB),which may reside within the databases, is configured to synchronize datastored on mobile devices within the network. The data may be taken fromvarious social networking platforms, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter,and so on. In other words, the NAB stores contact information from avariety of different social networks for a mobile device, which may notprovide software specific to the social networks. The network maytransmit data from the NAB to the mobile device for storage and/or toupdate previously forwarded and locally stored data in the mobiledevice. The data forwarded from the NAB to the mobile device may bestored in a phonebook, contact list, or similar internal memory of themobile device. Further details regarding the Network Address Book andassociated systems and processed may be found in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/056,050, filed on Mar. 17, 2009, entitled SYSTEM AND METHODFOR TELECOMMUNICATION WITH A WEB-BASED NETWORK, SUCH AS A SOCIAL NETWORK(Attorney Docket No. 31419.8070.US00), which is incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Another example of a group of users is a group created by a user. Insome examples, a provider's service plan allows users, or subscribers,to create a contact group containing a limited number of people orservices. Communications to and/or from the people or services in thecontact group are billed at a reduced rate (e.g., all communications arefree, all communications are billed at a fixed monthly fee, allcommunications are billed at a reduced rate). The subscriber is allowedto periodically change the members of the contact group, with theservice plan's billing scheme being applied to the new members in thecontact group as soon as any change is made. Certain rules are appliedto the composition of the contact group, including the allowed frequencyof updates to the group, thereby constraining some of the modificationsthat the subscriber can make to the group. Any modifications to theservice plan proposed by the subscriber are therefore verified by theservice management system against a set of rules that characterizeacceptable changes before being implemented. Further details may befound in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/400,925, filed on Apr. 10,2006, entitled PREFERRED CONTACT GROUP CENTRIC INTERFACE (AttorneyDocket Number 50123.06USU1), which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

The network may also include one or more location determinationcomponents or devices that detect the location of mobile devices withinthe network. In some cases, these location determination components maybe geoservers, which track a target area within the network to identifythe locations of mobile devices that enter the target area.

Transmitting Context Information During Voice Calls

As discussed herein, the system facilitates the presentation of contextinformation when a user receives a call at his/her mobile device.Referring to FIG. 3, a flow chart illustrating a routine 300 forpresenting context information during establishment of a voice call isshown. In step 310, upon receiving an indication at a calling mobiledevice to begin a voice call, the system displays a list of options viathe mobile device interface to provide context information duringestablishment of the voice call. The displayed list may include optionsto send a picture, a video, a text-based message, and so on.

The system may receive a request a voice call in a number of ways, suchas within other communications applications. The system, via softwareand other components on a mobile device, may present an interfaceelement capable of receiving input from a user that prompts the mobiledevice to initiate a voice call. For example, two users may be sendingtext messages back and forth, and after a certain number of textmessages, one of the users may wish to call the other user. The systemmay present an option to call the other user during the text messagingsession so as not to require a user to exit out of the text messagingsession in order to initiate the call. Other communications applicationsthat may facilitate automatically initiating voice calls include emailapplications, instant messaging applications, and so on. The system mayalso receive a request for a voice within other applications provided bya mobile device. Examples include applications that play music,applications that take pictures, applications that take videos, and soon.

In step 320, the calling mobile device receives a user selection of oneof the options, along with input related to the selected option. Asdescribed herein, the calling mobile device may receive various types ofinput in a number of different ways, including:

-   -   receiving text-based input via a open ended text box or via a        user-selectable list of pre-defined text phrases,    -   receiving a photograph or picture taken by a camera associated        with the device,    -   receiving a video taken by a video recorder associated with the        device,    -   taking a picture of a user and decoding the picture to determine        an emotional state of the user, which provides input in        selecting context information to be sent,    -   automatically selecting content based on a variety of factors,        including time-based factors (such as a time when a voice call        is requested), location-based factors (such as a location of a        mobile device when a voice call is requested), a status of a        user or the device, and so on.

In step 330, the calling mobile device initiates communications to adestination mobile device. The calling mobile device may first establisha signaling or messaging connection to the destination mobile device inwhich to transmit the context information. For example, the callingmobile device initiates a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) connectionused to set up a communication session with a destination mobile device.The SIP connection may facilitate the transmission of content (such ascontext information) between devices, may cause or trigger a device toperform a function, launch an application stored on the device, and soon.

In step 340, the calling mobile device places a voice call to thedestination mobile device. The calling mobile device may use the SIPchannel during initiation of the voice call in order to prepare adestination mobile device to display transmitted context informationalong with an indication of the placed voice call. In some cases, thesystem may delay placing the voice call a certain time period aftertransmission of the context information. For example, the system maytransmit the context information at a first time, and place the voicecall a few seconds later than the first time in order to give a user atthe destination mobile device time to review the context informationbefore deciding whether or not to handle the call.

In step 350, the destination mobile device receives the contextinformation and an indication of the placed voice call from the callingmobile device. In step 360, the destination mobile device presents thecontext information along with an indication of a received voice call,and one or more options requesting guidance in handling the call. Forexample, code, scripts, and other data residing in the destinationmobile device may access API's for the device's operating system todisplay information received over the SIP connections (such as photos,videos, and so on) via the device's interface (e.g., as wallpaper forthe interface), in addition to other displayed information, such as thecalling party.

In some cases, the system may store some or all received contextinformation in a database on the mobile device, in a database within thenetwork, or in other locations. For example, a user may wish, at a latertime, to review photos received during initiation of voice calls from aspecific user, or may wish to stored content to resend at a later time.

The destination mobile device may present the information along with anindication of the voice call, may present the context information alongwith a list of call-handling options, and/or may present the contextinformation before presenting an indication of the placed voice call.Further details regarding the presentation and handling of receivedcalls at destination mobile devices are discussed herein.

In step 370, the destination mobile device, via the interface, receivesa selection of one of the options. For example, a user may review thecontext information (such as watch a short video) and select an optionto answer the call. Alternatively, the user may watch the video anddecide to ignore the call, or request additional information. In step380, upon receiving a selection to accept the voice call, thedestination mobile device connects to the calling mobile device,establishing a voice call.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-4C, screen shots of representative interfacesdisplayed during establishment of a voice call between two mobiledevices are shown. FIG. 4A depicts a contact list displayed by thesystem via a screen 400 of a calling mobile device. The contact listincludes a number of entries, including an entry 410 for “Holt, Adam.”The entry 410 also includes an icon 415, picture or animation thatfacilitates adding context information when the calling mobile deviceplaces a voice call to Adam Holt. For example, a user wants to call hisfriend Adam Holt, and selects the icon 415 in order to add contextinformation to the voice call in and provide Adam Holt with informationabout the voice call.

Upon receiving the selection of the icon 415, the system presents anumber of user-selectable options on the screen 400 that facilitateentry of context information. The system may present pre-definedelements 420 (such as graphical objects associated with a level ofurgency for a voice call) and/or text entry elements 422. The text entryelements may be text boxes that receive textual input from a user, dropdown menus that present a limited number of user-selectable phrases, orother elements. For example, a drop down menu may present a list offrequently chosen phrases such as “Just calling to say hi,” “call meback, it's urgent,” “I have a quick question about something,” and soon. The system may also present one or more user-selectable options thatfacilitate receiving media as the context information. The system mayinclude an option 424 to select or take pictures or photographs, anoption 426 to select or take a video, and/or other options 428 (such asoptions to record an audio introduction to a call, options to change thedisplay of a destination device, and so on).

For example, the system receives from a user a selection of option 424,indicating that the user wishes to use a picture when providing contextinformation with a voice call. The system may automatically launch anapplication on the calling mobile device that enables a user to take apicture using his/her mobile device. The user takes a picture, and thesystem initiates a voice call to Adam Holt that includes the picture asthe related context information.

Once an option is selected, the system transmits the context informationand initiates a voice call to a destination mobile device. Uponreceiving the context information and the voice call, the destinationmobile device, via screen 430, presents an indication of a receivedvoice call 440 along with context information about the voice call. Thatis, code stored on the destination mobile device may cause the device toreceive the context information, access API's for the device's operatingsystem, and display the received context information. For example, thedestination mobile device presents an icon 442 indicating a level ofurgency, a message 444 about the voice call, and a picture or image 446indicating a location of the calling mobile device. The destinationmobile device also presents call handling options, including an option432 to accept the voice call and an option 434 to reject the voice call.

For example, the destination mobile device receives an indication of avoice call and the context information over a SIP connection establishedbetween the destination mobile device and a calling mobile device. Thedestination mobile device, when informing a user that the call wasreceived, displays the context information to the user along with callhandling options. The user can then decide whether or not to take thecall from the context information.

Of course, these screens are representative of some cases in which thesystem facilitates presenting context information during establishmentof voice calls. Other are of course possible. The following examplesillustrate other implementations of the system:

As discussed briefly herein, the system may facilitate establishing avoice call during use of another application, such as a messagingapplication. For example, a user may be sending emails back and forth toa co-worker, and the content of the emails may escalate to the pointwhere a voice call is needed. Within an interface that displays theemail application, a mobile device may present an option to initiate avoice call. The user selects the option, and the mobile deviceestablishes a SIP connection with the co-worker's mobile device (orother telecommunications device, such as a telephone on a PSTN or VoIPnetwork). The calling mobile device may then send over the SIPconnection a portion of the email conversation as context informationwhen establishing the voice call, such as the subject line of the emailthread. A similar example may apply to an instant messaging or texting(SMS/IMS) session.

The system may facilitate establishing a voice call during use of anon-communication application. For example, a user is taking pictures onhis vacation, and wants to call a friend of his to tell him about thetrip. Within an interface that facilitates picture taking, the systempresents an option to place a voice call. The user takes a picture andselects the voice call option. The mobile device initiates a voice callto his friend's mobile device, sending the picture as contextinformation to be displayed along with (e.g., behind) an indication ofthe voice call. The friend, not knowing the user is on vacation, seesthe picture and instantly answers the call.

The system may automatically select content when providing contextinformation during establishment of a voice call between devices. Forexample, a user is traveling to visit a friend in Portland, andinitiates a voice call to his friend when he is half way through thetrip and in Seattle. The system identifies the location of the user'smobile device, and retrieves an image (such as the image 446) associatedwith Seattle from a database accessible to the network that relatesimages and other content to location information (such as a POIdatabase). For example, the system identifies the GPS coordinates of thedevice, reviews a database of iconic images in relation to GSPcoordinates, and selects an image that matches the coordinates of themobile device. The user's mobile device initiates a voice call to thefriend in Portland, sending the retrieved image to be displayed alongwith an indication of the voice call. The friend, expecting the user toalready be in Portland, answers the call to find out why the user isdelayed because he sees the image of Seattle.

Requesting Information from Calling Parties

As discussed briefly herein, in some examples the system facilitates acalled party requesting information from a calling party. Referring toFIG. 5, a flow chart illustrating a routine for requesting informationfrom an unknown calling party during reception of a voice call is shown.In step 510, a destination mobile device receives a voice call. Forexample, the destination mobile device receives a typical voice callwithout any context information. The calling party may be known to thedestination mobile device (e.g., information about the calling party maybe in a contact list) or may be unknown to the destination mobiledevice.

In step 520, the destination mobile device, via a screen or otherinterface, displays options related to handling the call. These optionsmay include an option to accept the call, an option to ignore or rejectthe call, and an option to request information from the calling party.

In step 530, the destination mobile device receives a selection of oneof the options. For example, a user selects an option to request moreinformation. In step 540, the destination mobile device transmits amessage to the calling mobile device requesting additional information.The destination mobile device may transmit the message over a SIPconnection, SMS channel, USSD channel, or other messaging channels. Thedestination mobile device may automatically select a message from one ormore messages stored in the device, or may display an interface thatenables a user of the device to input a message (such as an interfacesimilar to the interface shown in FIG. 4B).

In step 550, the destination mobile device receives information, such ascontext information, from the calling mobile device. The destinationmobile device may then present the information to a user of the devicealong with the previously presented call handling options. In step 560,the destination mobile device receives a selection of one of theoptions, and depending on the selection, answers or ignores the call.

FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a representative interface 600 displayedduring reception of a voice call from a calling party. A destinationmobile device may display this screen when the device receives a callwithout context information or receives a call from an unknown device.The destination mobile device, via the interface 600, presentsinformation 610 about the voice call, and a number of user-selectablecall handling options. These options include an option 620 to answer thecall, an option 630 to ignore the call, and an option 640 to requestinformation from the calling mobile device.

For example, a destination mobile device receives a call from a callingmobile device that is not in a contact list associated with the device.Receiving the call triggers the destination mobile device to launch anapplication that provides the user with handling options other than thetraditional handling options. The application handles the voice call anddisplays a user-selectable element that, when selected, causes thedestination mobile device to transmit a message to the calling mobiledevice requesting context information. The destination mobile devicereceives a message back from the calling mobile device, and presents theinformation along with the previously presented call handling options.The user can then decide whether or not to answer the call based on thepresented context information.

Other Examples and/or Implementations of the System

In some cases, the system may transmit timing information or a countdowntimer as the context information. For example, the system may send to adestination mobile device a message saying “Joe, will call you in 10minutes,” which alone or with an associated flag, cause the device tostart a timer that counts down the 10 minutes and displays the status ofthe timer to the user. The calling device may also start a timer. Thesystem may then automatically establish the voice call when the timerreaches zero.

In some cases, the system may facilitate the entry of contextinformation after a voice call is unsuccessfully established. Forexample, a user may place a call to a friend and add contextinformation, but the call is not answered and the destination mobiledevice forwards the call to the friends' voice mail. The user hangs upwithout leaving a voice mail. The system, receiving an indication of theunsuccessful call, presents an interface to the user asking if the userwould like to send a text message instead. The user selects yes, and thesystem generated a text message, including the added contextinformation, and sends the text message to the destination mobiledevice.

In some cases, the transmitted information during establishment of avoice all may include instructions that cause a destination mobiledevice to perform a function. Examples include:

-   -   Instructions that cause the destination mobile device to take a        picture or record a video of a user that receives the voice call        (e.g., in order to record the reaction of the user to the voice        call). The instructions may also prompt the destination mobile        device to send an MMS back to a calling mobile device with the        picture to show the calling party the called party's reaction.    -   Instructions that cause the destination mobile device to play a        certain ring tone or audio clip based on the context of the        call. For example, a doctor may have an urgent matter to discuss        with a patient, and the doctor sends instructions to the        patient's phone to play a ring tone that indicates the urgency        of the call.    -   Instructions that cause the destination mobile device to play a        ring tone for a certain period of time. For example, a wife at        work may call her husband at home to let him know when she is        coming home. The wife knows the husband leaves his mobile device        at random locations in the house. When placing the call, the        wife selects an option to send instructions to the husband's        mobile device to play the ring tone twice as long in order to        allow the husband to find his mobile device in time to accept        the call.    -   Instructions that cause the destination mobile device to play a        subsequent alert at a destination mobile device after the device        receives a connection request, a text message, an email message,        an instant message, and so on, and a user of the device does not        reply within a certain time period.

In some cases, the system may facilitate the transmission of contextinformation to multiple users at multiple destination devices. Forexample, a user may set up a conference call and send contextinformation about the call (such as a subject of the call) to allparties on the call. In some cases, a user (e.g., a leader of the call),may periodically transmit new information or refresh the contextinformation during the conference call. For example, the conference callmay be long, and not all users will want to attend the entire call.Refreshing the context information allows the users to identify adiscussion topic during the call, and enter or exit the call whenappropriate based on guidance from the context information.

In some cases, a service provider that provides aspects of the system toits subscribers may bill users based on instances in which they sendcontext information, instances in which they receive contextinformation, and so on. However, the service provider may also enableusers to refuse the receipt of context information, or to selectivelyrefuse the receipt of context information, depending on their needs.

CONCLUSION

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific examples of thesystem have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but thatvarious modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit andscope of the system. For example, while Table 1 shows a table whosecontents and organization are designed to make them more comprehensibleby a human reader, those skilled in the art will appreciate that actualdata structures used by the system to store this information may differfrom the table shown, in that they, for example, may be organized in adifferent manner, may contain more or less information than shown, maybe compressed and/or encrypted, and so on. As another example, theblocks shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 may be altered in a variety of ways. Theorder of the blocks may be rearranged, blocks may be performed inparallel, blocks may be omitted, or other blocks may be included.Accordingly, the system is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of“including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,”“coupled,” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling,either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling orconnection between the elements can be physical, logical, or acombination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,”and words of similar import, when used in this application, refer tothis application as a whole and not to any particular portions of thisapplication. Where the context permits, words in the above DetailedDescription using the singular or plural number may also include theplural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to alist of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretationsof the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list,and any combination of the items in the list.

The teachings of the system provided herein can be applied to othersystems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements andacts of the various examples described above can be combined to providefurther implementations of the system.

Other changes can be made to the system in light of the above DetailedDescription. While the above description describes certain examples ofthe system, and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter howdetailed the above appears in text, the system can be practiced in manyways. Details of the system may vary considerably in its specificimplementation, while still being encompassed by the system disclosedherein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describingcertain features or aspects of the system should not be taken to implythat the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to anyspecific characteristics, features, or aspects of the system with whichthat terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in thefollowing claims should not be construed to limit the system to thespecific examples disclosed in the specification, unless the aboveDetailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly,the actual scope of the system encompasses not only the disclosedexamples, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing thesystem under the claims.

While certain aspects of the system are presented below in certain claimforms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the system inany number of claim forms. For example, while only one aspect of thesystem is recited as embodied in a computer-readable medium, otheraspects may likewise be embodied in a computer-readable medium.Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claimsafter filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms forother aspects of the system.

We claim:
 1. A method in a mobile device for transmitting contextinformation during establishment of a voice call to a destinationdevice, the method comprising: receiving a request from a user of themobile device to initiate a voice call to a destination device, whereinthe request is received, in part, via an application on the mobiledevice that captures video or images, or receives text input; receivinginput associated with a type of context information related to theapplication that captures video or images, or receives text input;establishing a session initiated protocol communication session betweenthe mobile device and the destination device; receiving, from thedestination device, a request for context information, wherein thereceived request for context information includes a picture taken at thedestination device and transmitted from the destination device, whereinthe received request for context information includes a messagetransmitted from the destination device, and wherein the picture andcontext information are transmitted from the destination device prior tothe user accepting or declining the voice call; transmitting contextinformation over the session initiated protocol communication session,wherein the context information is associated with the received input tothe destination device; and initiating a voice call to the destinationdevice over the session initiated protocol communication session acertain time period after transmission of the context information to thedestination device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving therequest from the user of the mobile device to initiate the voice call tothe destination device includes receiving a request via a list ofcontacts from a network address book and displayed to the user via aninterface of the mobile device.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinreceiving the request from the user of the mobile device to initiate thevoice call to the destination device includes receiving a request duringa session within a messaging application, and wherein receiving inputfrom the user associated with the type of context information related tothe application that captures video or images, or receives text inputincludes receiving at least a portion of one or more messages sent orreceived by the user within the messaging session.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein receiving input from the user associated with the typeof context information related to the application that captures video orimages, or receives text input automatically causes the mobile device toinitiate the voice call and including at least a portion of the receivedinput to the destination device.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: when the initiated voice call is not established,transmitting a message from the mobile device to the destination devicethat includes at least a portion of the context information.
 6. A methodat a mobile device for requesting information from a calling mobiledevice, the method comprising: receiving, at a destination mobiledevice, an indication of a voice call placed from a calling mobiledevice to the destination mobile device; automatically launching anapplication at the destination mobile device that presents an interfaceof user-selectable options, including: an option to accept the voicecall; an option to decline the voice call; and an option to request moreinformation from a calling party of the voice call; receiving aselection of the option to request more information from the callingparty of the voice call; performing an action based on the selection ofthe option to request more information from the calling party of thevoice call, wherein the action includes automatically sending a requestto the calling party for more information, wherein, prior to acceptingor declining the voice call, performing the action comprises: taking apicture at the destination mobile device, transmitting the picture tothe calling mobile device, and transmitting a message, to the callingmobile device, requesting context information, and wherein the messageis a predefined message for requesting context information; andreceiving context information from the calling mobile device in responseto the transmitted message.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein thecalling mobile device is not in a list of contacts associated with thedestination mobile device.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein performingan action based on the selection of one of the presented optionsincludes: generating a message at the destination mobile device, whereinthe message includes contents requesting information from the callingmobile device; and transmitting the message to the calling mobiledevice.
 9. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium whosecontents cause a mobile device to perform a method for requestinginformation from a calling mobile device, the method comprising:receiving, at a destination mobile device, an indication of a voice callplaced from a calling mobile device to the destination mobile device;automatically launching an application at the destination mobile devicethat presents an interface of user-selectable options including anoption to request more information from the calling party of the voicecall; receiving a selection of the option to request more informationfrom the calling party of the voice call; performing an action based onthe selection of the option to request more information from the callingparty of the voice call, wherein the action includes automaticallysending a request to the calling party for more information, wherein,prior to accepting or declining the voice call, performing the actioncomprises: taking a picture at the destination mobile device,transmitting the picture to the calling mobile device, and transmittinga message requesting context information to the calling mobile device,and wherein the message is a predefined message for requesting contextinformation; and receiving context information from the calling mobiledevice in response to the transmitted message.
 10. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the calling mobile deviceis not in a list of contacts associated with the destination mobiledevice.
 11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9,wherein performing an action based on the selection of one of thepresented options includes: generating a message at the destinationmobile device, wherein the message includes contents requestinginformation from the calling mobile device; and transmitting the messageto the calling mobile device.
 12. A system for transmitting contextinformation during establishment of a voice call from a mobile device toa destination device, the system comprising: means for receiving arequest from a user of a mobile device to initiate a voice call to adestination device, wherein the request is received, in part, via anapplication on the mobile device that captures video or images, orreceives text input; means for receiving, from the destination device, arequest for context information, wherein the received request forcontext information includes a picture taken at the destination deviceand transmitted from the destination device, wherein the receivedrequest for context information includes a message transmitted from thedestination device, and wherein the picture and context information aretransmitted from the destination device prior to the user accepting ordeclining the voice call; and means for transmitting context informationwhen establishing the voice call between the mobile device and thedestination device, including: means for receiving input associated witha type of context information related to the application that capturesvideo or images, or receives text input; and means for causing themobile device to initiate a voice call including context informationassociated with the received input to the destination device.
 13. Asystem for providing information in connection with voice and/ortext-based communications between at least first and second mobiletelecommunications devices, wherein the first and second mobiletelecommunications devices are associated with users of at least onewireless telecommunications network, the system comprising: at least onenetwork server computer, coupled to the wireless telecommunicationsnetwork, wherein the network server computer is configured to facilitatecommunications between the first and second telecommunications devices;and at least one database configured to communicate with the networkserver computer, wherein the database stores a table of contacts for theusers and content, wherein the table stored in the database includes,for each user: an identifier associated with the user or a mobiletelecommunications device of the user, and, at least one network addressassociated with each contact for the user, wherein the network addresspermits the mobile telecommunications device to place a voicecommunication to, or enabling text-based communications with, atelecommunications device associated with the user's contact, and, atleast a digital photograph, graphic, animation, or video associated withat least some of the contacts for the user, wherein the content storedin the database includes digital images or information, and geographiccoordinates associated with the digital images or information, and,wherein the network server computer is configured to: receive a callfrom the first telecommunication device for the secondtelecommunications device, determine a geographic location of the firsttelecommunication device, obtain from the table stored in the database adigital photograph, graphic, animation, or video associated with theuser of the first telecommunications device, obtain from the contentstored in the database a digital image or information having geographiccoordinates near to the determined geographic location, and route thecall to the second telecommunications device with the obtained digitalphotograph, graphic, animation, or video associated with the user, andwith the obtained digital image or information, both for display on thesecond telecommunications device while the second telecommunicationsdevice is ringing to announce the call.
 14. The system of claim 13,wherein the identifier is a Mobile Subscriber Integrated ServicesDigital Network (MSISDN) number, mobile identification (MIN), orInternational Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number, and wherein thenetwork address is a phone number and an instant messaging handle oremail address.
 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the digital imagesare iconic digital photographs associated with predetermined geographiccoordinates, and wherein the network server provides a SIP or IMScommunication to the second telecommunications device during the routingof the call.
 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the network server isconfigured to establish a voice call between the first and secondtelecommunication devices during a text-based communication sessionbetween the first and second telecommunication devices, wherein thevoice call includes a display announcing during ringing of the call atext message obtained from a portion of the text-based communicationsession between the first and second telecommunication devices.
 17. Themethod of claim 6, wherein the request to the calling party for moreinformation includes a request for a level urgency for the voice call.